LXXIII. THE CROTON WATER WORKS.

There were many plans for supplying the city of New York with fresh
water, previous to the adoption of the Croton Aqueduct scheme, but we
have not the space to present them here. They were all inadequate to the
necessities of the city, and all in turn were thrown aside. The most
important was one for obtaining the water supply from the Bronx River.
It was believed that a daily supply of 3,000,000 gallons could be
obtained from this stream, but nothing was done in the matter, and it was
not until the prevalence of Asiatic Cholera in 1832 had impressed upon
the people the necessity of a supply of pure water, nor until the great
fire of 1837 had convinced them that they must have an abundance of
water, that the scheme for supplying the city from the sources of the
Croton River was definitely resolved upon. De Witt Clinton gave his
powerful support to the scheme, and the citizens at the municipal
elections expressed themselves unqualifiedly in favor of a full supply of
fresh water. It was decided to obtain the supply from the Croton River,
and in May, 1837, the work on the aqueduct which was to convey it to the
city was actually begun, and on the 4th of July, 1842, the Croton water
was distributed through the city.

The first step was to throw a massive dam across the Croton River, by
means of which the Croton Lake was formed, the water being raised to a
depth of forty feet by the obstruction. From this dam an aqueduct,
constructed of brick, stone, and cement, conveys the water to the city, a
distance of nearly forty miles. It is arched above and below, and is
seven and a half feet wide, and eight and a half feet high, with an
inclination of thirteen inches to the mile. It rests on the ground for a
portion of its course, and in other parts is supported by a series of
stone arches. It crosses twenty-five streams in Westchester County,
besides numerous brooks, which flow under it through culverts. It is
conveyed across the Harlem River by means of the High Bridge. The water
flows through vast iron pipes, which rest upon the bridge. The bridge is
a magnificent stone structure, 1450 feet long, with fifteen arches, the
highest of which is one hundred feet above high water mark. Its great
height prevents it from interfering with the navigation of the stream.
The High Bridge is one of the principal resorts in the suburbs of New
York. The structure itself is well worth seeing, a